Woman (LP)

Rhye

Amoeba Review

03/04/2013

Effortlessly sexy, nuanced soul pop comes to us from L.A.’s Rhye. The duo of Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal have a knack for including perfect detail, in the way “Open” creates its serenity with only a handful of elements: a simple beat, with just a bass drum and finger-snapping snare; a three-chord arrangement of organ layered with Asiatic synth lines; lush, soulful strings; and Milosh’s feminized vocals. Single “The Fall” is the definition of seductive, with Milosh’s entreats so plain-faced and naked (“Make love to me … don’t run away”), they’d be embarrassing were they not delivered as breathily as possible — they sound alluring rather than desperate — while musically the song is somewhere between the reclaimed French pop of Stereolab and beat-driven ’90s R&B. Milosh sings more expressively on “Last Dance,” a synth-funk love song that wisely balances its more synthetic sounds with organic touches like grimy funk guitars and a lack of heavy effects on Milosh’s voice. Milosh’s male Sade vocals may be a tough pill to swallow for some listeners at first, but he’ll pretty much melt you down over time, and Rhye are smart enough to not overdo it, offering synth-pop tracks (“3 Days,” “Hunger”) to break it up, though “Shed Some Blood” is pure Quiet Storm. My advice: let go of your reservations and let Woman seduce you.